


The Dance Lesson

by Emiline



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Additional Students - Freeform, Dancing, Dancing Lessons, F/F, Matchmaking, Maud is a tiny Hackle shipper, fairly Maud-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 16:59:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiline/pseuds/Emiline
Summary: In which Miss Bat and Miss Drill co-teach a dance class for the students, with the assistance of Miss Hardbroom, and Maud tries to matchmake for Miss Hardbroom and Miss Cackle.For Week 6 of the Summer Hackle Trope Challenge: Dancing





	The Dance Lesson

“Now girls,” Miss Drill said, “I want you to pay close attention as Miss Hardbroom and I demonstrate the proper technique for the waltz. I will be leading and Miss Hardbroom will be following. _Then_ ,” she continued over Miss Hardbroom’s affronted snort, “we will switch. Ready when you are, Miss Bat.”

As Miss Bat started playing, Maud heard the soft sound of the door opening and closing. She peeked back to see Miss Cackle slipping in to the back of the room.

Enid elbowed Maud in the ribs. “I didn’t know HB could dance, did you?” she whispered. “And she’s _good_ at it,” she added in astonishment.

“Miss Nightshade, do you have something you would like to share with the class?”

“No, Miss Hardbroom.”

“No chattering,” Miss Drill added.

Miss Hardbroom seamlessly took the lead from Miss Drill. They really were both astonishingly good dancers, Maud thought. When they finished with a flawless bow from Miss Hardbroom and an exquisite curtsey from Miss Drill, Maud was tempted to applaud. 

“Now girls,” Miss Drill said, turning to the assembled students “it is your turn. Choose a partner and assume the starting position.”

“I’m not sure I’m cut out for dancing,” Mildred said nervously.

“Nonsense, you can do it. Here, I’ll lead,” Maud said, pulling Mildred into position.

“Yeah, it’s not too hard once you get the hang of it,” Enid confirmed. “You can do it, Millie.”

“Relax,” Maud instructed. “You’ll be fine and the tenser you are the harder this will be, trust me. Just follow what I do.”

Miss Bat started playing a jaunty waltz and they stumbled around the room with the rest of the class.

“Sorry,” Mildred apologized as she stepped on Maud’s feet.

“It’s okay, I think you’re starting to get the hang of it.”

Things were going relatively smoothly until Mildred noticed Miss Hardbroom watching them, upon which she immediately lost count and trod on Maud’s feet again, sending them careening into Enid and Felicity.

“What an oaf,” Ethel sneered as she and Drusilla danced by.

Enid stuck her tongue out at Ethel.

“Come on, let’s try again,” Maud said.

Four or five waltzes later, Millie was hardly stepping on her toes at all, although she hadn’t managed to relax much. Still, they’d made progress.

“Whew, I think I’m ready for a break,” Mildred said, flinging herself down on one of the chairs at the side of the room.

Maud took the seat next to her, noticing with surprise as she did so, that Miss Cackle was still observing from the back of the room, a wistful smile on her face.

Miss Hardbroom and Miss Drill were demonstrating the proper technique for the twirl-and-dip to a small group of students. The students tried again, and as Miss Hardbroom stepped forward to correct one of the pairs Maud watched as Miss Cackle’s gaze followed her deputy headmistress. 

That’s interesting, Maud thought.

Miss Hardbroom stepped back, and still, Miss Cackle’s gaze fell not on the students but on Miss Hardbroom.

Something clicked into place in Maud’s brain, and she smiled, clasping her hands before her heart.

“Ask her, Miss Cackle” Maud muttered under her breath. “Go on.”

“What was that?” Millie asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Maud replied.

Miss Cackle had not moved, and Miss Hardbroom had not apparently even noticed that Miss Cackle was in the room.

A thought—plan was really too grand a word for it—flashed into Maud’s brain, stunning her with its audacity. No, she thought, that is a truly awful idea. Nonsense, it’s brilliant, said a small voice in her head that sounded so much like Millie that she glanced over at her friend to see if the two of them had accidentally developed telepathy.

Millie was staring at the ceiling.

Probably not telepathy then, Maud thought. It was, objectively, an extremely ill-advised plan but if you didn’t bend the rules a little then what was the point, and obviously she had been spending too much time with Millie if this was the justification she had come up with.

“Maud, will you dance with me?” Enid asked. “Felicity’s alright but I’ve danced with her three times in a row already.”

“Ask Millie,” Maud responded absently, already making her way across the room toward Miss Cackle. 

“Miss Cackle,” she began.

The headmistress started and looked down at her.

Maud executed an extremely formal and correct bow. 

“Would you do me the honor of granting me the pleasure of this dance?”

Miss Cackle blinked, then smiled and curtseyed. 

“Why thank you Miss Spellbody. I would be delighted.”

Maud swayed slightly as the full enormity of what she had done hit her. Well, it was too late to back out now anyway. She held out her hand and she and Miss Cackle began to dance. 

“Excellent form, Maud.”

“Thank you.”

“I recall your parents are both very fond of dancing.”

“They are, Miss Cackle.”

Maud could hear the whispers starting to ripple through the room. She really, really, hoped that this was going to work, because if she was going to spend the rest of her natural life known as “Suck-up Spellbody” or something like that she at least wanted the private satisfaction of knowing that she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do.

“Miss Spellbody,” Miss Hardbroom’s voice was low and dangerous. “What are you doing?”

Well, she’d wanted to catch Miss Hardbroom’s attention, and now she had it, for better or for worse.

The room fell silent.

“Dancing, Miss Hardbroom,” Maud squeaked.

“You are supposed to be practicing your dancing with your fellow students, not” she popped the ‘t’, “with your teachers. Miss Foxglove is currently without a partner.”

“Miss Spellbody,” Miss Bat cried with delight, leaping up with surprising agility from the piano bench. “How kind of you to make sure Miss Cackle was not doomed to the status of a wallflower.”

Maud blinked. This was not going as she had expected.

“However,” Miss Bat continued, “I am afraid Miss Hardbroom is correct that Miss Foxglove is currently partnerless. Therefore, if Miss Cackle does not mind I should like to propose a solution – you, young Maud will dance with Miss Foxglove, and Miss Hardbroom will dance with Miss Cackle. Miss Drill will be our observer, and make notes of anything that we need to review after the next set.”

“That sounds like a splendid solution to me,” Miss Cackle replied. “Thank you, Miss Spellbody.”

Maud bowed and fled back to the group of students.

Miss Hardbroom’s steps echoed around the room as she crossed over to Miss Cackle. She bowed. 

“May I have the honor, Miss Cackle?” she said, rather more stiffly than Maud would have expected.

“Certainly,” Miss Cackle replied, smiling at her, and Miss Hardbroom relaxed a fraction of an inch.

The two witches stood in position. Maud could practically see Miss Hardbroom calculating to make sure they had the regulation amount of space between the two of them.

“What are you all looking at?” Miss Hardbroom snapped. “Partner up!”

There was a mad scrabble as the girls obeyed.

“If you please, Miss Bat,” Miss Drill said.

“What was that all about?” Felicity demanded as she and Maud waltzed their way around the room. 

“I thought that maybe Miss Cackle wasn’t dancing because no one had asked her,” Maud answered. 

“You’re weird,” Felicity replied, making a face.

That, Maud could live with.

They passed by Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom. Miss Cackle was smiling at Miss Hardbroom as though Miss Hardbroom was the only person in her world.

“What are you smiling about?” Felicity asked suspiciously.

“Nothing.”

“I think that’s enough for today,” Miss Drill called out. “Remember to keep practicing what we’ve gone over today and we’ll review this next week, as well as starting something new.”

There was a great clatter as the students hurried out of the room. 

“Are you coming, Maud?” Mildred called.

“In a moment.”

Maud lingered over gathering her things, walked quietly to the door, and slipped out. She turned and held the door open a little and peered back inside.

Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom were talking quietly, their heads close together. Miss Cackle brought Miss Hardbroom’s hand to her lips and kissed it. Miss Hardbroom flushed prettily and did not appear to be displeased.

Maud eased the door shut, smiling broadly.

Enid clattered around the corner. “ _There_ you are, we’ve been waiting for you _ages_. You look very pleased with yourself.”

“I am. I am indeed.”


End file.
